Finding Your Way Home
by saltandburnit
Summary: Modern world AU. When Luffy gets taken away from his grandfather and brother, he ends up far away from home. There he meets a boy named Sabo who decides to try his best to help him cope. But Ace is still determined to get his brother back. And he will search the whole world to find him. Chapter 9 up.
1. Chapter 1

**Finding Your Way Home**

**Summary**: Modern world AU. When Luffy gets taken away from his grandfather and brother, he ends up far away from home. There he meets a boy named Sabo who is determined to help him cope. But Ace is still determined to get his brother back. And he will search the whole world to find him.

**A/N**: I'm not sure why I'm writing a new story. Mostly because I need more ASL in my life. I love writing the brothers. So this is my excuse to do so. As for the Modern AU thing, I've never tried this before but I have read some and I hope it works out. Don't worry, the rest of my stories will be updated too.

Speaking of, _Currently Working On_ was added on my profile where you can see which story's chapter in on the works at the moment. Also, this story was added on the poll and "new story" choice was zeroed.

* * *

**Chapter One: Away from Home**

The young woman had no idea what to do about it. It wasn't the first time this happened. Some kids who ended up here were better off, were saved from families who didn't deserve them, but there were lots of them who hated coming here and the transition was more than rough on them. Most current example was this boy, hiding under the blankets, crying hard on his pillow. Her heart broke for the kid as she listened to the loud sobs wracking his young body.

"Makino?" Another boy showed up behind her, sneaking a peek inside. This was actually his room, that he would share with a boy, but as the raven haired kid had just come here this morning, they haven't met each other yet. The boy's eyes softened at the sight of his new roommate. "Makino? Who is that?"

She placed her palm on the boy's head, absentmindedly stroking his blonde hair. "They just brought him today," she whispered. "He hasn't talked to anyone or eaten all day. I'm worried about him." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then headed towards the crying kid. "Sabo…" Makino called for him, but gave it up, secretly hoping he could help. She walked out and quietly closed the door behind her. Maybe she could get them something to eat.

Sabo cautiously neared the trembling boy, hesitantly reaching to him. He placed his hand on his back, keeping it there even when the kid flinched. It proved to be a good decision when a head peeked from under all those blankets.

A pair of huge, tearful eyes looked up at him, sorrow evident in them. His lower lip was trembling uncontrollably and the tears running down his face didn't seem to stop.

"Hey," Sabo smiled reassuringly, the gap in his teeth showing. "I'm Sabo. What's your name?"

"L-Luffy…" The boy replied, his voice shaky and raw.

"That's a cute name. This is my room you know," he said, gesturing around.

"I- I'm sorry," Luffy mumbled, looking down.

"No, I don't mind. It just means we're going to live together here."

"Really…?"

"Yeah! Ain't that cool? We're going to be like brothers."

That made him cry a little bit harder. "I already have a _brother_," he said, voice cracking at the end.

"Really?" Sabo tried to keep his voice even, fearing he said the wrong thing.

"Y-yeah. His name's Ace…" He bit his lip hard, drawing some blood, making Sabo panic a little. "He'll come get me. I-I know he will."

Sabo smiled at the sheer affection Luffy showed for his brother. He tried not to think about the odds of the boy seeing him again, though. It was too painful to think about that. "I see… Well, that's great. But you know what, Luffy?"

When Luffy's giant puppy eyes turned to him full of interest, Sabo knew exactly what he was supposed to say.

"Until then… I'm going to take care of you."

* * *

And a hundred miles away, another raven-haired boy was crying his eyes out, cursing the world, the rules and his own family for being so damn careless.

"No, no, _NO_! Damn it! Why? _WHY? LUFFY!_" He cried, frustration and pain evident in his young voice. He was punching the wall, growls of anger escaping his mouth. The thought of his baby brother… so far away from them… the thought of them never getting to s…

"Shut up," he muttered, clenching his fists. "Stop it. Stop it. STOP IT. Luffy!... _Luffy_…"

Garp has never heard anything more heartbreaking than that boy's voice crack as he called his lost brother's name. He knew at that moment that neither of his grandsons would ever forgive him for what happened.

Not that he would ever forgive himself.

_Luffy_, both of them thought at once. _Where in the world are you?_

* * *

**A/N**: What is wrong with me? O.o Why do I keep torturing characters? Oh well, should I discard this or try for another chapter? Please leave a review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: Modern world AU. When Luffy gets taken away from his grandfather and brother, he ends up far away from home. There he meets a boy named Sabo who is determined to help him cope. But Ace is still determined to get his brother back. And he will search the whole world to find him.

**A/N: **And after popular demand I decided to continue this! Let me warn you though, this story is probably going to be short. Same thing goes for _Cold Blooded Fate, _I CAN'T write long stories. Period. Anyway, here goes chapter two! Hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Holding On and Letting Go**

Sabo gave the silent boy next to him a sideways glance. As it was only his second day here, they –whoever _they_ were- had decided to give him a free pass and not subject him to the horror of the dining hall quite yet. Someone must have caught them in a good mood. Somehow. Anyway, since Luffy was his self-proclaimed responsibility he decided to stay with him. Makino was more than willing to help them out and brought both the boys' breakfasts to their room. And yet, although he was saved from the loud, stressful atmosphere of the dining hall, Luffy still wasn't eating…

"What's wrong?" Sabo eventually asked, tired of seeing the boy pick at his food. "You don't like it?"

At the sound of the blonde's voice, Luffy's cheeks turned a bright red and he casted his eyes down in embarrassment.

_Ah, so that's what this is about_, thought Sabo. _Or well, some of it…. _With those thoughts came a bit of guilt. In his defense, he had only been trying to help but Luffy's pride had taken a hit the night before, in front and because of a stranger no less.

"Luffy…" Sabo sighed, adding a little bit of whine to his voice. "If this is about yesterday…"

"I'm sorry!" the raven-haired boy blurted out, his cheeks reddening even more if that was possible.

Sabo rolled his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Do you know how I was on my first night here? I was bawling so hard, Makino had to stay with me all night to calm me down."

Luffy hesitantly sneaked a glance at him. "Really?"

_No._ "Yes! It was embarrassing but I needed it and so did you." _Actually maybe. I was too young to remember it. But hey, it's better that way. And _he _needs to realize that, too._

"Hey, Luffy…" he started, a bit cautious himself.

The boy turned those big eyes, so full of innocent and curiosity to him. It cut the question short. Instead Sabo smiled at the kid, a small but encouraging raise of the lips. "Eat. Now."

"Mm!" With a soft nod, Luffy started inhaling his food and the blonde had to try hard stifle a laugh. He could ask him later. It was the first time Luffy was so energetic and the fact that Sabo had played a part into that, secretly made him feel proud.

Perhaps Luffy didn't trust him fully yet. But that was ok. They had time.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?"

Garp looked up from the newspaper to the boy leaning against the boy, quiet but determined. He stifled a sigh. "The plan?"

Ace's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. To bring Luffy back. Didn't you think of anything yet?" His breathing quickened when he saw his grandfather cast his eyes to the floor. "_What?_ We are getting him back, _aren't we_?" He asked frantically. "Gramps? _Gramps?"_

"I don't think we should, Ace," Garp sighed for real this time, preparing himself for the rage that was coming.

"Why the hell not?!" Ace yelled, his eyes wide with panic. "Give me one good reason! Just _one_ damn reason to _abandon _him there!"

"We're not abandoning him…"

"Oh, _really_? Then tell me, because apparently I'm too stupid to get it! What _are_ we doing?"

Garp felt a thousand years old at the point. One of his grandsons was gone and the other was about to hate him for the rest of his life. Was he really sure he was doing the right thing here? "We're giving him a chance." Ace was literally growling at him at that point. "Think about it, Ace. Provided we _could_ find him, which I doubt, are you sure it's the best for him to bring him back here?"

"The best for Luffy is to stay with _me_!" he yelled, his eyes shooting daggers at the old man. How dare he, how _dare _he suggest that Luffy was better off without them?

"A little selfish, aren't we?"

"I'm his _brother_! I can take care of him!"

"_Can you really?!_"

His grandfather's tone made the young boy freeze. Garp had managed to remain calm throughout the conversation, but now he was actually yelling right back at him. What Ace had failed to realize was how hard this was for Garp as well. Luffy wasn't just Ace's brother, he was also Garp's grandson. And if the old man was saying the kid would have a better chance without them, then perhaps he had truly thought about it.

Even so, Luffy was his brother and Ace couldn't let him go.

With his teeth tearing at his lip so hard it was sure to draw blood soon, he walked away, determined to find his brother. "Do whatever you want. I'm getting Luffy back."

"How are you going to do that, Ace?"

"I'll find a way! I don't care how long it takes! I'm getting him back!"

* * *

_Extra: The Night Before_

Sabo wasn't sure what was bothering him. In his sleepy state it took him a while to figure out it was a sound that was keeping him awake. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he got out of bed to locate the source of the noise. A deep sigh left him once he realized the source was no other than his new roommate.

The boy was clearly having a nightmare and whimpering in his sleep. Feeling sorry for the poor thing that was shaking like a leaf, his blanket somewhere on the floor, Sabo tried to wake him up.

"Luffy…" he called, shaking him slightly, still too sleepy to put any real force into it. "Luffy, wake up… You're having a nightmare."

When a sob shook the boy's young frame, Sabo finally took this seriously and was instantly wide awake.

"Luffy! Luffy! Wake up! _Wake up!_"

Luffy's eyes fluttered opened, his gaze frantic and disoriented.

"A-Ace?" he called out, the tears still flowing freely.

The other boy felt his heart clench at the sight. For a second there, he honestly wished he could somehow bring Luffy's brother here. But right now he was all the kid had and so he would help him as much as he could.

"No, Luffy, it's me."

"_Ace_?" He repeated, grabbing Sabo's shirt and holding on for dear life.

"No, it's me. Sabo. Remember?"

"A-_Ace_!" he kept sobbing, his face hidden in the blond boy's shirt.

Said boy opened his mouth to correct him again. Seeing how completely and utterly out of it Luffy was though, he gave it up, wrapped his arms around the shaking body and let him cry himself to sleep. He wasn't sure whether Luffy realized that he wasn't Ace or not, but either way the kid wasn't willing to let go and nobody was going to force him to.

At some point the black haired boy even scooted over to make room on his bed for his new friend so he wouldn't have to be standing up the whole time.

Makino found them the next morning on Luffy's bed with the younger one still hiding in the other's comforting embrace… And even if Luffy would be extremely embarrassed later by what had happened, he would also be even more grateful for the way his roommate handled him that night. Maybe Sabo was planning on keeping his promise after all…

* * *

A/N: That was actually quite long... I even wrote an extra scene for all the lovely people that took the time to review! See? When you people are nice to me, I'm nice to you too! That said please leave a review once again! Come on, it's a new chapter! Surely there must be _something_ you want to say! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: For the record, I'm not back. I just got my hands on a little netbook and a slow but working internet connection. So I might update once in a while. Finding Your Way Home is turning out to be my favorite story to update so far especially now that the hard part is kind of over. I apologize for the crappiness of this chapter but I promise the next one will be really good! (Well, I'll try to make it so anyway! Woot!)

Anyways, thanks so much for the support this far, I'll try to reply to some of the reviews when I get back home!

* * *

_**Chapter 3: It's Not Better, It's A Lie**_

Sabo was bored. Like really bored. Even his love for reading and writing could only get him this far. How much longer was he supposed to stay cooped up in this small bedroom? Not that anyone was forcing him to be there or anything, but there was something he could not leave back in the room and that something was reluctant to follow.

His roommate.

"Luffy..." he began once he finished yet another chapter of the book he was reading."What do you say we go see the rest of this place? Aren't you even a little bit curious?"

Luffy jumped at that, his mind obviously travelling elsewhere and turned his eyes to the blond boy. "What's the point?"

"So you can familiarize yourself with it. You're going to have to get out at _some_ point. You know, there are many other children here. You might make some new friends..." He offered with a small smile, trying not to let how that ended out for him show on his face.

"Why? I'm not going to stay here for long... Ace'll come get me..." he muttered and turned his eyes back to the ceiling where they had been for the past few hours.

Despite the little time that he'd known Luffy, Sabo had figured out some things about him. For starters, he was (or at least had been) a really happy child, the one that makes people wonder how a person can be so cheerful all the time. However, at times, he got deadly quiet, his mind wandering off to places Sabo wasn't sure he wanted to know. Then again, since the boy wasn't the brightest of kids in the place, he could just be spacing out and freaking Sabo out for no reason whatsoever. What the blonde didn't know was whether he had always been like this or it was a leftover shock from being separated from his family. And speaking of family, there was one more thing he had noticed that both saddened and awed him.

Luffy had an unwavering faith in his older brother. Never before had Sabo seen anything like that. Ace had somehow made his little brother believe he could do _anything_ and that he loved him enough to do so. Thus there were two reasons for which Sabo wanted to meet that guy. For Luffy's sake of course and his own curiosity. Was the boy truly worthy of such faith or was Luffy just trusting like that?

Yet that didn't mean Ace could _really_ do anything in this case, especially if Luffy was... one of those. Sabo simply had to find out. Because as painful as it was, someone had to bring Luffy down from that cloud of his.

"Luffy...?" His voice was full of hesitation, already regretting what he was about to ask.

"Hm..?'

"How did you get here? I mean, who brought you? And- and why?"

The raven haired boy sat up at that and leaned against the head of the bed. Sabo cautiously walked over and sat down next to him, careful to keep some distance.

"A lady," was his simple reply.

"A lady?" he raised an eyebrow, silently asking for more.

"Yep. A mean one."

"Well did you know her before? What was she doing with you?" Sabo tried to keep his tone calm, his voice even but it was getting harder and harder as he realized where this was certainly going.

The younger kid shrugged, not sensing the tension in the room. "No, I don't know her. She said she was from someplace or other. I didn't get it. Said she'd help me. She lied."

Sabo felt like crying on the last part. Not all kids believed that they were better here, maybe not all kids were. But why did _Luffy_, sweet, innocent _Luffy_ who has an older brother he practically _worships_ have to be dragged down her? And why on earth couldn't that same older brother do something to save him from whatever reason had led the boy here?

"Luffy... Was this woman from CPS?" He had to make sure.

"Oh, yeah! How'd you know? Did she come to you, too? Creepy, isn't she?"

Sabo felt like finding Ace, whoever the hell he was and punching him.

"_Why_?" He choked.

Luffy tilted his head, confusion settling on his face. His big obsidian eyes looked at his curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Why did she come to take you, Luffy?" Sabo was all but shouting now, his head reeling with all the possibilities. He felt sick just thinking about what could've happened to Luffy. The bright boy who managed to smile even in here. How could the boy be so happy?

"I- I don't know..." Said boy stuttered, surprised by the urgency in Sabo's tone. "What's wrong?"

"WHY DID SHE HAVE TO TAKE YOU AWAY, LUFFY?" he snapped, making the other back away in fear. Sabo felt guilt piercing his heart at the terror in those childish eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Luffy; I'm just trying to understand." Luffy nodded, still cautious. "Were they hurting you? Back home? Did they ever hurt you?"

"Well, Ace and I fought a lot, he was a bit mean sometimes but he always made it up to me..."

"That's not what I meant..." he sighed. "Did they ever... like... hit you or something?"

Luffy still seemed confused as hell, but gave a shot at answering his roommate. "Hit me?" he repeated. "Well, Ace and I fought a lot..."

"LUFFY! FOCUS! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!" Sabo yelled yet again, his anxiety coming out in the form of aggression.

It scared the younger boy, though. Luffy had pushed himself against the head of the bed, staring at the other in shock. Sabo took a deep, calming breath. The last thing he wanted was to frighten him. Luffy needed to _trust_ him. So they'd both survive this place. "Luffy, I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I don't want... You need to tell me. I only want to help."

The raven haired boy's eyes darkened at that, his entire body tensing in anger and frustration. Sabo froze, wondering what brought about the change. Luffy was never like that.

"That's what she said." Oh. "She said she wanted to help me. Make my life a little better." He was trembling with anger and sadness, tears gathering in his obsidian eyes. "This _isn't _better. She _lied_ to me."

"Luffy..."

"WHY would she lie like that? Why would she do that? My family loved me! My brother..." A sob shook the small frame. "My brother, I want to see my brother! He was screaming for me! He would never let me go! He must be looking for me!"

_"What's going on? Luffy? Luffy! Hey, let go of me! Luffy! Where are you taking him? LUFFY! LUFFY! LU!"_

Luffy pulled at his black strands, desperately hoping to block out the painful and pained voice of his brother. He had looked so scared, so panicked. Ace would never let him go but no one had given him a choice.

"_Ace_..." He sobbed, tears flowing like waterfalls down his cheeks. "Ace, he's alone now. And I'm alone. _All alone_."

The broken whisper of the boy was what brought Sabo back to reality.

"You're not alone, Luffy!" He protested and wrapped his arms around the shaking body. "You have me! I may not be much, but I'll never leave you alone, you hear? As long as I'm around, you'll never be alone!"

Huge, teary, black eyes locked with his own, a small glimmer of hope playing in them. "B-but what if y-you get.. adopted o-or something?"

"I'LL REFUSE! I'm not leaving this place without you!" His voice was so full of conviction that the broken kid could only believe him.

"Promise?"

"I promise, Lu, I promise."

And if that was the nickname Ace had for Luffy, then he couldn't bring himself to mind anymore.

* * *

Garp sensed the strong presence of another person behind him. However, it was a presence he once knew very well and thus didn't feel any unease by its appearance. A moment later he stopped walking and waited for the cloaked figure to make a move. The silence between them became heavy, though, so he had to say something.

"I figured you'd show up sooner or later. Did you hear the news?" he grunted, voice rough but not unwelcoming. The man was bound to have people keeping tabs on them, it wasn't surprising he found out about the recent changes in the small family.

"I did." A voice, deep and serious, replied. The cloaked man walked closer to his father, coming face to face with him. "How did it happen?"

Garp growled. "Some CPS crap. Beats me."

"Why the hell would CPS get near him? What did you do to the boy?" The hint of accusation in the man's voice pissed Garp off to no end.

"Now, listen here, you insolent brat. I did nothing to him, nothing that would make CPS get involved anyway. A fist of love here and there but nothing that truly hurt him. They had no right to interfere. If you ask me, it's too suspicious.

"That it is." The other nodded thoughtfully. "It's too convenient. And no procedure was followed either. They want something. Someone is behind this." His voice then took a dangerous undertone, the kind that reminded Garp of why his son was so feared in the world. "And I'm intending to find out who."

He hated to ask him that, but he needed to know. "There's no way we can get the boy back, is there?"

What sounded suspiciously like a smile changed his tone."You actually started to care for him?"

"Shut up! Of course I care! He's family. Not that you'd know anything about that." He accused, without any real malice behind it.

They both stayed silent for a long second, contemplating what to say next. "You're being unfair, father," the cloaked man eventually said. "You know I have no other choice."

"You could have stayed uninvolved in the first place."

"It's a little too late for that." With that he turned to leave, before his father's voice stopped him cold.

"They're going to try something. They took him so far away for a reason. You have to do something. I can't take care of him anymore."

"Do not worry. I'll send someone to keep an eye out for him. I, too, believe they're going to make a move soon. We'll be prepared."

A grunt of approval left the older man's mouth and his son took him as his cue to leave. He was just disappearing in the shadows when he heard his father give him one last order.

"Take care of yourself, Dragon. And you better take care of Luffy as well, or I'll hunt your ass down."

Resisting the urge to grin, Monkey D Dragon started to formulate a plan in his head about the fate and protection of his only son.

* * *

_"Hey! You must be Luffy! I'm Shanks. Nice to meet you, kid!"_

* * *

A/N: No Ace in this chapter :( And what happened to this story being just about the brothers? Oh well. Shanks 3 Haha, come on, it'll be fun. I actually thought out the whole plotline two days ago and I was honestly surprised on where it ended up. So much for writing a cute, _short_ story full of fluff about the brothers. Well, _that's_ not going to happen. I hope you'll still enjoy it, though.

Anyway, leave a review! The more the reviews the longer the chapters! Seriously, it's a rule of mine to give something extra when I get lots of reviews! ;) Till next time!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter doesn't have Shanks in it. It was supposed to, I wanted it to, but it ran too long and I couldn't include Shanks there. It'd be too random. We do get Ace, though! Rejoice! Ok, I'll shut up now... ON WITH THE STORY!

Btw, for anyone who didn't notice, I did post a new story. Please check it out and leave a review so I know whether to continue or ditch it! Thanks :)

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Betrayal and Brotherhood**_

It took him a while but eventually Ace realized how suspicious the whole situation was. He almost slapped himself for not noticing it sooner. A mix of panic and fury bubbled up inside of him and he silently cursed his grandfather for not being home. His anger increased however at the idea that his grandpa had known about this and hidden it from him. No... Garp wouldn't do that to him. Not when it was about Luffy... Would he?

He must have been pacing the entire house for a couple of hourse before his remaining family member finally decided to come home.

"Oi, Gramps," Ace called, not wasting a single second. Garp jumped at the sudden voice, so filled with tension and suspicion. The old man grunted to show he had heard him. The raven-haired kid clenched his fists tighter. Gramps had been awful secretive lately. He'd leave for hours without explanation, meeting with people Ace _didn't know_. Perhaps he did know something. How _dare_ he hide it from him? "Why did they take Luffy away?"

A deep sigh left the old man. "We've been through this Ace. CPS took him. I hate to tell you this, but let it go. There's nothing left to talk about."

A fist hit the door the man had just walked in from, banging it closed. "Liar!" Ace accused, voice filled with barely contained fury. "What _really_ happened? _Tell me_!"

"What do you want me to tell you, Ace? What do you want to hear?" Garp retorted, starting to get quite pissed off himself.

"I want you to tell me why CPS took _him_ away and not me! I'm freaking adopted! Shouldn't they be the ones to know that? Shouldn't they have taken me, too?"

Garp visibly tensed at his words. It was all the boy needed to be certain. Garp had known about this. Yet he hadn't said anything. Which meant something seriously wrong was going on.

"Ace... Don't go there..." The accusation in the younger's lips at the tired tone his grandpa had used. Yes, something was indeed going on. But Garp didn't like it either. And it was hurting him just as much. His anger turned into despair and once again he wished for the little boy who seemed to be made of sunshine to come and brighten up the day. They needed it. They needed _him_.

"Why won't you do anything about it?" Garp's heart clenched at the sight of his grandson trembling like that.

"This is more complicated than you can possibly imagine."

"What does _Luffy_ have to do with any of this? Whatever this is?" He exclaimed, startling the other man.

Garp closed his eyes for a second, trying to think of the best way to handle this. But he had never been one for secrets and the boy had a right to know what had happened to his brother. "Come sit down, Ace. I'll tell you all I can."

The kid's eyes widened. That was easier than he had expected. "Really?"

"Really. But you're not going to like it." He sighed and made himself comfortable on the couch. "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you," he added as an afterthought. "And if I don't, somebody else will."

"What do you mean?"

Garp gave one last sigh and started explaining. "My son... is a very dangerous man. And he has pissed off a lot of people..."

* * *

Luffy was better in the mornings. Slowly but surely he was getting used to this place. The boy had started to get out, go to the cafeteria for lunch, out in the garden to get some air and enjoy a little bit of sunshine. Even if he still didn't want to meet anyone else and stayed close to Sabo all the time, he was steadily getting used to this place.

The nights were different. Sabo could and would keep him occupied during the day. Gain his attention in any way he could, not let him have too much time to think about things because he _hated_ that pained, thoughtful look he got when he went really silent. The boy was still hurting and the blonde did all he could to spare him from it. In spite of all his work, when darkness came around, Luffy would not stop crying. Yet somehow at one point he had began to stop even that. Until one night, it all went wrong.

A storm was raging outside. Thunder and lightning is a terrifying combination as it is. That night it was also accompanied by a strong wind that made the whole thing worse. The swings and seesaw in the playground outside creeked. Branches hit on roof and windows. A cacophony of sounds kept the two boys awake and the storm seemed to be getting worse, not better.

Over the years, Sabo had managed to sleep through storms like this. However, as much as he could ignore the storm outside, he could not, for whatever reason, ignore his roommate's whimpering form on the bed next to him. Luffy was covered entirely in blankets, so what was actually visible was a shaking blue bump. It was the whimpering and frightful yelps which came from the bump that worried Sabo.

Not being able to stand the boy in such a state for any longer, Sabo shakily walked over to him and placed a hand on what was most likely his back. This didn't have the calming result he had expected. In fact, quite the opposite happened. Luffy yelled in fear and fell of the bed in his panic. He frantically tried to take the now tangled sheets off of him, only to end up being even more tied up.

Sabo quickly ran to the other side to the bed and grabbed the kid's arms to calm him down. "Luffy. Luffy! It's ok, it's me. It's ok, you're ok. Calm down."

Luffy was still panting heavily but stopped struggling against the other's hold. He let Sabo carefully get the blankets off and even managed a shaky smile at him, despite the tears still running down his face.

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked, keeping his voice steady and confident. It had the desired effect. His tone alone made Luffy calm down a little.

"Y-yeah. Thank you. Thanks a lot."

Sabo smiled, the gap in his teeth showing. "Don't worry about it. You should try to sleep, though. Is there anything you need?" He raised his brow at Luffy's hesitant bite of his lip. Clearly there was an idea in the young boy's mind. "What is it, Lu? Come on, you can tell me."

"C-can I..." Sabo could've sworn he was playing with him when he turned his eyes back to him, they appeared to be twice as large (if that was possible) and filled with a childish desperation to _make it all go away_. He was sure at that exact moment. Even if Luffy told him to go out in the storm and dance in the rain like a complete idiot he would've done it. "... can I sleep with you?"

Oh, ok. At least that was easier.

"Lu, we're in the same room."

The black-haired boy turned away in embarassment. Well, we couldn't have that.

"Ok, alright. I don't mind."

With that, he got up and helped the other up. Soon enough, they were both tucked in Sabo's bed, with Luffy's head hidden in his roommate's chest. He was trembling a little even now, but thankfully it was nowhere near as bad as before.

"Have you always been this afraid of storms?"

"Yeah..." he whispered sheepishly. "I don't like them."

Sabo fixed the blanket on top of them a bit before continuing. "Well, how did you come with them before now?"

The boy frowned, his thoughts treading in dangerous territories. "Usually, I'd just go and... and..." Black eyes widened in shock, lips trembling.

"Luffy? Lu, what is it? What's wrong?" The older boy asked worriedly, sneaking a peek at the kid.

Suddenly, loud, painful sobs shook the young body. Small hands clenched Sabo's shirt until the knuckle's turned white. Luffy was shaking harder than ever, tears flowing like waterfalls down his red cheeks.

"Hey, hey, hey! What happened? What's wrong? _Luffy_!"

It was no use. The boy was inconsolabe. Right at the moment Luffy wasn't listening to Sabo's panicked yells. No, Luffy was thinking of Ace and of how he always went to him during storm nights. He went to his brother and no matter how much he complained about Ace always let him sleep with him. And now what? He's been gone away for a week and he... he... he asked someone else. Albeit unwillingly, he had actually replaced his brother. Just what kind of person did that make him?

"Luffy... _Luffy..._ Talk to me, what's wrong?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say it. _Leave me alone. Go away. I can't do this to Ace. I can't betray him like that._

_"You're not alone, Luffy!"_

_"I'm not leaving this place without you!"_

But what did Sabo do to deserve this treatment? Especially when he was just as caring?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's just..." he mumbled, barely coherent through his tears.

"Ace," Sabo nodded, his tone full of understanding.

"H-how?'

A hand stroked a slightly sweaty mop of black hair caringly. "It's alright. Don't worry about it. Just calm down. It's only one night. Wouldn't Ace want you to be taken care of?'

Luffy froze in shock. He hadn't thought of it that way before. Ace was constantly worried about him. Would he hate being replaced like this or would he be happy Luffy had someone to watch out for him?

Sabo leaned closer to the boy's ear and whispered with a hint of a smile. "You know, Lu... A person doesn't have to have only one brother in his life. For what is worth, I've always wanted a little brother. And I'll always be here for you if you need me. I promised, didn't I?"

The younger one had no idea what to say. Two older brothers. What if Ace wasn't being replaced at all? Maybe their little family was growing a bit, that's all. Luffy surely had enough room in his heart for both boys.

"You said you'll never leave me alone..."

"Never. I promise."

Luffy snuggled closer to him. He barely noticed the storm anymore.

* * *

A/N: Umm... what the...? This was not supposed to turn out like that! My brain never agrees with my plans... *sigh* Anyway, the next chapter should be up real soon and it WILL have Shanks in it! I promise! Leave a review and tell me what you think! More reviews mean faster and longer chapters! :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This is the first of Shanks' chapters. Sorry if he's a little OOC, he hasn't been shown much on the show so he's pretty hard to write... This was quite fun, though.

Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed! You know how much I appreciate it! Consider the early update my gift to you!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Anchor**

Things were starting to perk up a bit. Luffy was steadily opening up to Sabo, ready to both give and receive love. In return the older boy watched out for him the best he could and did everything in his power to make him feel comfortable in his new home. It's been almost two weeks since Luffy had left his home and he was finally becoming happy again.

That Saturday Makino even took them and about a few more kids to the beach.

The raven haired boy was practically glowing in his excited state and found sitting still on the bus a very difficult feat. He was almost jumping in his seat, squirming and looking around with incredible speed, his already short attention span even worse now. Most of the kids around them glared or rolled their eyes at the annoying seven-year-old, but Sabo just chuckled at his roommate's antics.

The second the bus stopped, Luffy stormed out and ran to the shore, despite Makino's calls for him to stay close. The blonde boy assured her that he'll keep an eye out for him before following his lead.

He found Luffy jumping from foot to foot to avoid the hot sand while trying to make his way to edge of the beach where it was wet and wouldn't burn him. Sabo would've laughed if it wasn't for the fact that his feet were also burning and he had to get there as fast as possible as well. In the end he ran for it, quickly catching up with Luffy and grabbing him to carry the boy the rest of the way. After the initial yelp of surprise, the kid was actually laughing with the free ride he got.

"Sabo!" He yelled between his laughter. "Let's build a sandcastle! A huge one!"

"Do you have a bucket with you, Lu?"

That cut his laughter short to be replaced with a pout. "No..." He was on the ground now and lowered his head sadly. "But I wanted to built a castle..."

With a soft smile, the blond ruffled his hair playfully. "We could built a ship..." he offered.

Luffy's head snapped up instantly, eyes wide and sparkling with hope. "Really?! We can do that?"

"Sure! I'll show you! Come on!"

The two boys spent the next hour building their little sand ship. To be completely fair, it didn't look much like a ship. More like bowl really. Still they had gone the extra mile and used a stick for a mast and even tied a napkin they took from the nearby beach bar to create a flag. It wasn't much but it made Luffy happy, so who really cared about what it looked like?

A bead of sweat rolled down Sabo's forehead. He was getting really hot by now and longed for a swim. The sea was especially beautiful that day. Clear water, sparkling under the sun's rays, the sound of the waves crashing at the shore both soothing and inviting. Perfect day for a swim. There was only one thing he hadn't even considered.

"Hey, Luffy, what do you say we go for a swim? Now that we're done with the ship? It's really _hot_..."

But not hotter than Luffy's face when he heard that. A deep red blush creeped up on his cheeks and he quickly looked away from the other boy, clearly embarassed about something.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sabo asked with a hint of worry.

Luffy mumbled something incoherent.

"What's that?"

"_Icam'tswim_..."

"What?"

"I CAN'T SWIM!" His eyes widened once he realized how loud that had been and quickly looked down again.

"Oh. Oh, ok. How come?" The boy just shook his head, not willing to offer and explanation. "Ok... Well... I could _try_ a-and teach you. I'm not sure how, though."

"You can teach me?" A smile brighter than sunshine showed on the kid's face at the prospect of learning how to swim.

Sabo shrugged, not having a clue himself. "I can try. It's not really that hard."

"OK!" He exclaimed, thrusting his hand up in the air. "Let's do this!"

And then something landed on his face.

"Ah!" Luffy yelled in shock. Whatever was on him was blocking his vision completely. "What's that? What is it?"

Sabo was laughing his butt off next to him at the boy's reaction, the whole situation too ridiculous for him to control himself.

"_Stop laughing_!" Needless to say, it only made him laugh harder. "What is it?'

"Luffy! Relax!" Sabo managed to say, struggling to breathe from laughing too hard. "It's just a hat. See?"

As soon as he said that, the unknown object was removed from his face and Luffy could indeed see that it was nothing more than a battered, old strawhat. His cheeks turned red with embarassment though his eyes were burning with anger. "Shut up..." he grumbled and took the hat from the other.

Splashing sounds were heard from someone running too close to the water and the two boys turned to see a man running frantically to them. Similar confused expressions showed on their faces as the man stopped right in front of them and let out a little chuckle.

On closer look, he appeared to be in his mid-twenties, well built and slightly tan, though that was probably from the sun. His cheeks were red either from the sun or from the running, but nowhere near as red as his flaming hair. Three large scars adorned his face, that would have normally creeped the young boys, had his look not been so friendly and open.

"Hey! I'm Shanks!" he introduced himself with a wide smile. "You must be Luffy. Nice to meet ya, kid!"

Sabo's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know his name?"

The man, _Shanks_ froze for second before smiling again, looking a little confused. "Didn't you call him that a few seconds ago?"

"You heard that? You were far away."

"Not really that far," he shrugged. "What's the problem?"

Sabo still wasn't convinced, but he let it go. "What do you want?"

"My hat back," Shanks said, gesturing to Luffy's hands.

The raven-haired boy looked down at his hands thoughtfully. Instead of giving it back to him though, he placed it on his own head with a grin. "Why was your hat in my face?"

"It kind of... flew away," he replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Would you be so generous as to return to me, Captain?"

Luffy's grinned widened at that. "Captain?"

"Well, I assumed this badass ship could only belong to you!" The red-head laughed and pointed at the boys' excuse for a ship.

Luffy didn't need to hear much more to like the guy already. With a little laugh he took the hat off and handed it over to its owner. "There you go, Shanks!"

"Thanks!" Once the hat was back on the mop of flaming red hair, he turned back to the kids. "So why aren't you in the sea? It's a hundred degrees outside!"

Sabo looked over at Luffy, wondering if he was going to trust this man enough to admit it. Honestly, he found the situation quite suspicious but he had to give it to the guy, he was pretty cool. Besides, he was the first person Luffy had spoken to apart from him and Makino. So perhaps he could give him a chance.

"I... I can't swim," Luffy eventually confessed, scratching the back of his leg with the other.

Shanks' smile never wavered. "Oh? Well, we can do something about that, can't we... umm..?"

"Sabo," replied the blonde boy, a hint of a smile on his own face.

"Right! Luffy, with the help of the champion in swimming named Sabo and the master in teaching that is me, you're going to learn how to swim in no time at all!"

At least that was the plan.

* * *

"Geez, kid! You're an anchor in the water!"

The unlikely trio came out of the sea, soaking wet and tired as hell. However the results weren't what they had hoped for. They had been trying to teach Luffy for about two hours yet the kid could not, for the life of him, swim. At all. After getting him comfortable just being in the water, they had gotten deep enough so that only Luffy wouldn't be able to stand. Shanks had kept a firm hold on him and Sabo had explained and shown him how to move his body in the water. With some extra instructions from the adult in the group, they told him to try while Shanks was still holding him. And while the boy could manage the motion of swimming like that albeit a little clumsily, the moment they let him float on his own... he sunk. They kept trying. And he still sunk. Like an the nickname.

"Shuddup..." Luffy mumbled with a pout.

Sabo chuckled slightly at the younger's expression. "Come on, Lu. It's not such a big deal."

"Yeah! We'll try again next time, Anchor!"

"I liked Captain better..." The boy managed a glare at his new friend.

Shanks laughed at his look. "How can you be a captain if you can't swim?"

"I _will_ learn how to swim!" Luffy stated with newfound determination at the other's mocking.

He received a kind smile in reply. "Looking forward to seeing that, kid."

He was going to say something else when Makino's voice sounded from afar, calling them. They had to be going back to be in time for dinner. Both boys frowned at the idea. Shanks turned to them curiously. "Is that your mother? Your sister?"

"No. She... She is responsible for us, I guess," Sabo answered with a hint of bitterness. Sure, Makino was great, more than great. Just... it would be nice not to have to explain themselves every time.

"What do you mean?" There you go.

Luffy didn't seem to be phased by it, though. "We live in an orphanage," he shrugged as if it wasn't such a big deal. Sabo looked at the boy in confusion. He sounded so ok with it. Was this Shanks' doing or his own?

Thankfully, Shanks didn't make a big deal out of it either. "Oh, yeah? Which one?" No _why_ or _I'msososorry _or the embarassing kind of pity that pissed Sabo off to no end. The blond had never liked the man more than right then.

"The one in Goa street," Luffy replied. A grin lightened up his features as an idea formed in his mind. "You should come see us sometime!"

Sabo blinked, trying to grasp what the boy had just said. The corners of his lips twisted upwards in a smile. Luffy had finally made a friend. In the most unlikely way, but still it was something. And if he had to be honest with himself, the guy was _cool_. "Yeah, Shanks. You should stop by... If you have time," he added as an afterthought. They may have liked Shanks but no one could guarantee that he liked them enough to go to such ends for them.

Happiness bubbled up inside the boys at his reply. "Sure! I'll be sure to come visit you as soon as I can! Maybe I'll take you swimming again, Anchor!" Shanks teased with a wink.

"_Sabo! Luffy!_" Makino called once again.

"COMING!" Sabo yelled back before turning back to the older man.

"Go on ahead, can't leave the lady waiting. I'll come see you soon."

Sabo studied the man for a moment as if trying to convince himself he wasn't lying, before grabbing his roommate's hand and dragging him off towards the woman's voice.

"Bye, Shanks!" Luffy called behind him.

The man laughed lightly at the young boy. "See ya, Anchor!"

_You don't deserve this, kid_, he thought bitterly._ But I'll do what I can to take care of you._

* * *

The next day, Makino woke the two boys up with a surprise.

"Luffy, there's a man outside who wants to see you," she said and two wide grins appeared on their faces. "He says he wants to adopt you."

Their eyes widened in shock but a new kind of hope sparked. Did Shanks come for them? Was he going to get them out of this hell hole? Luffy let out an excited chuckle and ran out the door in a flash. Sabo quickly followed after him. None of them noticed the woman's anxiety. Or the way Makino had only said Luffy's name. Maybe they should have.

They ran outside, expecting to see the red-haired man grinning at then. Only Shanks wasn't there. They would have gone back inside if it weren't for a creepy looking man greeting Luffy with an unnerving smile. The boy's small hand grabbed on to Sabo's arm for safety as he backed away from him. Sabo himself stepped a bit sideways, putting himself in front of Luffy. Who was that man?

"Oh, I-I see you've met each other already..." Makino said nervously once she came out. "Luffy, this man here wants to... adopt you."

Sabo felt Luffy shiver against him.

_This is bad._

* * *

A/N: Poor Luffy. Wow, no Ace, no Garp, no nothing. Hm, I'll promise we'll see some of Ace in the next chapter.

By the way, I meant to ask, which characters do you want to see? Do you want me to introduce the Strawhats? Believe it or not, they weren't in the original idea but I could fit them in.

As always, please leave a review! Thanks :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Funny how I really like this story. It's pretty easy to write. And surprisingly canon. You'll see what I mean in a minute. Shanks is quite serious in this chapter but under those circumstances I had no choice. I hope he didn't end up OOC. You tell me.

****Btw, I have an idea for a new story. I might include a teaser in the next chapter (in whatever story that is). So please wait for it :)

ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Count On Me**

When the two boys got another visitor later that day, the mood was noticeably different. Luffy had his face buried in his pillow, silently crying his eyes out, his small frame trembling uncontrollably. Sabo was sitting on the bed next to him, looking at him with a mixture of concern and understanding whilst rubbing comforting circles on his back. He could understand what the boy was feeling. Hell, he was upset himself. They had just started to become friends, maybe even closer than that and now this random guy, who quite frankly scared them both to death wanted to take Luffy away. And Luffy alone. Sabo wouldn't even be able to keep his promise to stay with him no matter what.

_We need help. Serious help_, Sabo thought, biting his lip worriedly.

As if the universe was for some reason listening to him, right at the very moment the door opened and Makino hesitantly walked in. Her kind eyes were filled with sadness at the sight of the young boy on the bed.

"Boys? You have a visitor…" She smiled slightly at them.

Sabo almost growled. "If it's him again, tell him to…"

"Sabo!" The woman warned with a stern look.

"Sorry," he shrugged, not sounding very sorry.

The door opened wider at that and another person walked in, a grin contrasting the kids' moods. "Now, that is no way to greet a friend."

Luffy's head snapped up at the voice, tearful black eyes turning to the older man in shock. In the blink of an eye he scrambled out of bed and ran straight into the arms of their red-haired guest.

"_Shanks!_" he called, burying his face in his shirt and gripping tightly like his life depended on it. In a way, it did.

Shanks looked down at the boy, surprise apparent on his features. "Hey, Luffy. What happened? What's wrong?" He turned to the other boy for answers. "Sabo?"

By that time, Sabo had also got off the bed and walked over to the other two. "Some bastard came here this morning and said he wanted to adopt Luffy."

Something dark flashed in Shanks' eyes for barely a second before he adopted a curious look. Yet his body was clearly tense after that comment. "Really? Who was it?"

"Can't really remember his name. Makino?"

A small frown appeared on the young woman's face. "His name was Higuma. I have to admit, he didn't seem very trustworthy." She glanced worriedly at the small boy, who had by now calmed down but was still clutching on the man's shirt for support.

"Well, can't you stop it? The adoption?" Shanks asked, wracking his brain to remember if he had heard the name before.

She shook her head sadly. "It's not in my control. I'm more of a caretaker here, I don't have a say. Especially not in the legal stuff."

"But the adoption got through? It's been approved?"

"I believe so. There's still some more paperwork to be done, so it'll take a couple more weeks. I don't understand how they could approve it without the man ever meeting Luffy, though…" she whispered the last part almost to herself, clearly bothered by it.

Huge obsidian eyes turned to Shanks full of hope, still sparkling with tears. "Can't you do something about it? _Please_?"

"Anchor, I don't know…"

"Come on, Shanks!" Sabo pitched in. "Please. That a-"

"_Sabo_…" Makino warned him again.

"That _person_," he switched it with a sigh. "wants to separate us. We've lost enough family already, don't you think?"

A choked sob left the youngest boy. Shanks flinched at the sound. He turned to Makino, his good mood long gone.

"_Could_ I do something? Surely, it's not first come, first serve. I could get the boys, couldn't I?"

"Well, I'm not s-"

"No. You definitely couldn't, red-head," a deep voice came from behind them.

Four heads instantly turned around to see who the owner was. A shabby looking man with an x shaped scar above his right eyes was looking at them with a smug grin on his face. "Sup, kid?"

Luffy stared back with wide eyes. But he was no longer crying. He refused to cry in front of that man. Nevertheless, when Shanks had to let go of him to face the man, Sabo made sure to keep close to him, going as far as to put himself between the boy and the stranger.

"What do you want?" Luffy said, more confidently than anyone would have guessed. However the blond boy could feel him slightly trembling against him.

"We're going to be a family soon. Figured I'd take you out. What d' ya think?"

"No," both kids said at the same time.

The man scoffed. "You know, it won't make any difference, right?" He gave Shanks a menacing look. "None at all. Get it, red-head?"

Shanks for his part kept his cool, a good-mannered smile on his face. "Mr. Higuma I presume? I understand that Luffy is a great kid and would be amazing to raise, but those two kids are practically brothers and if you're not willing to take them both, then perhaps it would be better to let me take care of them?"

The man's laugh echoed in the room, sending a chill down the kids' spine. Makino put a hand on her heart, clutching her shirt nervously. "You can forget it. But you can get the blond kid if you want to. Don't really care."

Sabo let out a low growl and held Luffy's arm tighter.

"You haven't even met the kid. What do you want with him?" Shanks tried again, his voice still calm and polite.

"What is it to you, Scarface?"

"That's rich coming from you," Sabo muttered with an eye roll.

The man growled at that, leaning down and glaring at the young boy. "Did you say something, brat?"

Shanks gently pushed the kids further away from them. "Come on, that's enough."

"Let's go," Higuma commanded, staring at Luffy unnervingly. He made a move to grab him but both Sabo and Shanks stepped in front.

"Clearly the kid doesn't want to go," the red-haired man interfered.

Higuma by that time had enough and pushed the other man roughly, causing him to fall to the floor with a loud thud. "It's none of your damn business, now is it?"

"Shanks!" the two boys exclaimed in shock, while Makino gasped at the sight.

Shanks on the other hand kept his cool, staying still, his face hidden by his straw hat. The scruffy man smirked at him before turning to go.

"What a damn coward. I'll be back, kid."

With that he left, leaving the trio either looking at the door or at the fallen man. After a moment of shocked silence, Makino rushed to the fallen man. "Sir! Are you alright?"

Shanks raised a hand to stop and gave a wide grin. "What a jerk," he laughed lightly.

Sabo exchanged a sigh of relief. He was worried there for a second. Not only for the man's safety but also in case he was intimidated by the other man and had changed his mind about getting them. Thankfully, here he was laughing it off.

However someone had a different perspective on it.

"Why? Why didn't you do anything?" Luffy yelled at him.

"What?" Shanks asked, amusement apparent in his voice.

"Why didn't you fight back?! Why did you let him humiliate you like this?"

Sabo looked at his roommate with wide eyes. "Luffy…"

Shanks smile combined with the calm tone he used next, silenced them both. "Now, what good would that do?"

"But, you could have-"

"Luffy, think about it. If I fought him now, I'd lose more than what I'd win. Don't you think I have better chances of adopting you since I didn't attack a guy right now?"

Luffy gaped at him, something akin to hope blooming in his eyes. "Shanks…"

"You're serious about this?" Sabo laughed.

Shanks grinned at them, the mood completely changed again. "Of course! Like I'd let him take you." He turned to Makino, who was by now smiling at the scene. "Could you please put in a good word? Just to have a better chance?"

"Sure."

Luffy's lower lip trembled, looking ready to cry. "Shanks…" he choked out and once again buried himself in the older man's warm embrace. This time Sabo joined in, albeit a little more discreetly and ruffled the raven-haired boy's hair playfully.

"Don't worry about a thing, boys. I'll get you out of this. Trust me," Shanks promised and felt the kids cuddle closer to him. He knew that both of them believed him.

And he wasn't going to let them down.

* * *

Ace was lying on his bed, feeling a headache coming. It's been a while since his grandfather had explained as much as he could to him and he was still trying to make sense of it all. One thing he did know for sure though, was that he was getting Luffy out of this no matter what.

"Don't worry about a thing, Lu. I'll get you out of there. Trust me."

There was just one tiny little problem about this. He was too young to be involved. At the age of ten, he stood no chance against the world his little brother was so suddenly pulled into. He barely even understood half of it.

"And I was actually complaining about my own family," he muttered half bitter, half amused. "Sheesh."

Slowly, he got up from the bed and headed towards the window. As he stared at the endless buildings in front of him, his mind once again wandered to what his brother might be doing right now…

"Don't you worry. I'll gather as much information as I can. I'll find out who did this to you. And I will come get you. You can count on that!"

In hindsight, that probably was the first day Ace took his search seriously. From then on, his entire focus was on finding out more and more about Dragon and the underworld and anyone who could have a grudge against the man. Anything that could help him and his brother.

Because even if Luffy was a million miles away from him, there were still in this together. And anyone who threatened him, threatened Ace too.

And Ace didn't take it too kindly to people threatening him.

* * *

A/N: I actually wasn't intending to include Ace at all. But I promised you _some_ Ace so I kinda had to. He might not do much for the next few chapter though. He needs to get a little older to be able to do anything about it, so we'll see more of him later on. Sorry. I like writing Ace, it's a pity he can't do much. That said, if you have any suggestions about something he may do that would fit the storyline feel free to tell me.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hmm... not sure how I feel about this chapter. Anyway, we reach an important part of the story I think and Shank's part in all of this is changing a bit. Might have screwed up his character a bit, but bear with me. It's hard.

By the way, for anyone who hasn't seen it already, I've started a new story. Please check it out. It's called _To Light The Fire. _Go look for it!

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

* * *

Chapter 7: New Family

Shanks took the boys out after that incident. They spent the whole day away, having fun in their own peculiar way. Or Luffy's peculiar way anyway. As the youngest in the group, the other two let him push them around a little. And boy, did he push! The entire day was a series of running, playing and lots and lots of laughter. Neither of them wanted it to end. Luffy was finally happy, feeling perfectly comfortable around people who could perhaps end up being his family. People who he _wanted_ to become his family. Shanks found himself liking the two boys more and more as time passed. When they had first told him to take Luffy away from the orphanage, he had been more than hesitant as he thought himself too young and irresponsible to take care of a child. Now not only could he not wait to take the kid home, he was also taking a second boy with them.

But the one who enjoyed it the most was surprisingly Sabo. Having spent most of his ten years in the orphanage, he had never had a chance to experience what it was really like to have a family. Shanks and Luffy changed that. Luffy was the little brother, bouncy and excited and ever smiling, fixing the mood when it was down, keeping him on his feet and making him feel needed. Shanks provided him with a father figure he had never dared to dream of having. A person to look up to, a person who protected and cared about him.

By the time night had fallen, Luffy was half sleeping in Shanks' arms as he carried him back to the orphanage with Sabo keeping up on the right, a huge grin on his young face. The raven-haired kid's little hand clutched at the man's shirt whilst mumbling something incoherent.

Makino came to greet them at the front door and carefully took the child from the red-head, not before casting a soft smile at the scene. Shanks was smiling brightly, like he had the whole day when he said goodbye with a promise to come back tomorrow.

Eventually Sabo ended up carrying Luffy back to their room, piggy back style. But he was in for a surprise.

"Nii-san...? The boy mumbled, causing the other to stumble from the shock. Sabo frowned. Was Luffy mistaking him for Ace again?

"Sabo?" Luffy tried again and the blond's eyes widened. So he was talking to him. "Is Shanks going to be like... our dad?"

Still shaken from the boy's choice of words, Sabo stuttered, uncertain. "I-I don't k-know, L-Luffy. I... hope so." The kid snuggled closer to him and the older smiled softly at him. "Let's get you to bed, Lu. You're tired."

"Thank you, Sabo..."

"Yeah, don't mention it. It's part of the job description."

* * *

The next day Luffy was buzzing with excitement, eagerly waiting for their red-haired friend to show up. He was going around the room, doing this and that, as if sitting down would physically hurt him. In the offchance that Higuma did manage to get hold of the boy, he was in for one hell of a surprise.

The other boy was also excited at the prospect of seeing Shanks again. However the events of the previous night couldn't leave his mind. Was Luffy aware of what he had said or was it merely a result of his tired state? He had to know. There was no way he could ignore that.

"Hey, Lu..." he called hesitantly.

Luffy instantly spun around and ran all the way to his roommate, a toothy grin never leaving his face. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember our conversation... last night?" When... I was taking you back to our room?"

The younger tilted his head to the side, looking at the other curiously, his expression faltering ever so slightly. "What about it?"

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"Yeah. I asked you if Shanks is..."

"Before that," Sabo interrupted. Luffy frowned, his brows furrowing in thought.

"I didn't say anything before that, Sabo," he said, his grin turning into a pout. He wanted to help the boy but had no clue what he was asking of him.

Sabo realized he was upsetting him and decided to be more specific. "You called me _nii-san_."

"Oh that? I did."

"Luffy... Why?" he asked in a hushed down, not knowing what to expect.

Luffy laughed at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "'Cause we're brothers. Aren't we? You said it yourself, you wanted a little brother. You changed your mind?"

Sabo gave the kid his widest smile yet. "No, of course not. We are brothers, Luffy."

"And we'll live together with Shanks?"

The blond was ready to confirm it when another voice replied from the doorway.

"Like hell you will."

The older of the kids couldn't resist an eye roll at the sight of Higuma standing there, an arrogant look on his face. "Seriously, you have _got_ to stop doing that! It's annoying."

"Nobody asked you, brat," the man said and walked over to the raven-haired kid, picking him up before his brother could stop him.

"_Hey_!" Sabo yelled, eyes widening when he saw Luffy get taken away like that.

"Put me down!"

"Just shut up and come on, brat."

Despite the protests and kicking and screaming, Higuma made his way outside, Sabo following suit behind him. Makino heard the commotion at one point and quickly rushed to aid the boys, but the man ignored her just as much as everyone else.

He was already at the parking lot with Luffy still screaming bloody murder when someone finally came to the kid's rescue.

"_Luffy_!" Shanks' voice reached the two, with an urgency he hadn't shown before. "Where are you taking him?"

Higuma's laugh sent a chill down Luffy's spine. Frightful obsidian eyes turned to the red-haired man pleadingly. "I'm taking him to check if that's really the boy we want, or I'm getting a damn brat for no reason."

"Put him down."

Shanks' glare made the man falter for a moment, before he regained his composure. "Sorry, I've got a job to do."

"I'm afraid you'll need to find a new career path. I _won't_ forgive you, if you hurt the boy."

Seeing the man's distraction, Luffy promptly _bit_ the hand holding him up and soon found himself falling on the rough asphalt with a loud thump. The man cursed loudly before making a move to grab him again.

"Makino," Shanks called calmly, never taking his eyes off his enemy. "take the kids inside. And don't come out."

Young hands took hold of Luffy's own and he ran alongside his brother to the shocked woman's side. Not missing a beat, she ushered them away from the two men but not without casting a last worried glance behind them.

Shanks thought he heard Luffy call his name worriedly. However he couldn't afford to lose sight of the man in front of him. Besides, he knew Luffy was safe for now.

"What is it to you, red-head?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously at the question. Now that they were alone, they could both speak freely. "I know you're planning on killing the boy. I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Nobody hurts a friend of mine."

In the meantime, Luffy and Sabo were in Makino's arms, the first slightly trembling. Panicked eyes turned to the woman, the concern clear in them. "Makino, is Shanks going to be ok?"

Makino started to stroke his mop of black hair in an attempt to soothe him. "Of course, Luffy. Shanks knows what he's doing. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

But when hours later they went back to the parking lot, there was no one there. And they didn't see either man for an entire week...

* * *

A/N: Ooh, ooh! Cliffhanger! Whoops. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! And a little hint: we're getting a new character in the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: There was supposed to be a little more of the final scene but it's really late here and I can't bring myself to write it. I'll probably add it to the next chapter. Please show mercy on the person who is awake at 4 am to post this. Thanks.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Goodbye**

Luffy was inconsolable. There was no other way to describe it. He was absolutely miserable. Not only was Shanks gone, they didn't even know whether he was ok or not. The man could be dead right now and they wouldn't know it. Sabo had of course tried to reassure him that Shanks was alive and well and would probably be back sometime soon.

However, one day about a week later, Makino gave them some news neither were expecting.

"_HIGUMA'S DEAD_?!"

Sabo was usually a calm, level-headed person, but he couldn't help it. Who could have expected that? The guy was dead. Sure, they hated him, he was about to ruin their lives, yet dying was never actually a plan. Plus, whatever happened to Shanks? Where was he? Was he alive? Was he…. no, no, no. Shanks was fine.

Though he might have killed him.

The blond shook his head at the thought. No way. Absolutely not.

"How did he die?" he asked, just in case.

Makino ran a hand through her dark green hair, clearly upset about the whole situation. "I'm not sure. I don't know anything. I just went to ask about what was going to happen with Luffy's adoption and they told me this."

"Well, did Shanks try to pitch in?"

The woman looked at him, silently scolding him. "Don't be so insensitive, Sabo. And not that I know of. Besides, I don't think it would sit very well if he tried anything right now."

It was at that moment that they noticed the raven-haired boy hadn't uttered a word so far. Luffy was looking blankly in front of him, his eyes wide and somewhat tearful. Sabo frowned at the boy. Was he feeling bad for the guy? He noticed the little tremble and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Luffy? Are you alright?"

A barely noticeable shake of the head made Sabo's instincts scream at him and worry took over. "What is it?" No answer. "Luffy, what's wrong?"

"He-he's… dead. He wanted to… to adopt me and he died."

"Lu…"

"Is Shanks ok?"

"Luffy…"

"_Is Shanks ok_?!" He yelled, panicking a little, the tears starting to spill.

Makino placed a hand in front of her mouth, her heart breaking at the sight of the kid so upset. She was also worried about the red-haired man. The older kid tried to comfort him, but there was no getting through to him. They had to find Shanks. Or Luffy would go insane from not knowing.

"Makino…?" Sabo called, a silent question in his tone.

She nodded, watching them with concern. "I'll see what I can do."

As it turned out, she couldn't do a thing. Not to say that she didn't try. She tried to find a phone number, an address, anything to look for the man. With a heavy heart she even called hospitals to see if there was anyone with his description there. Shanks was nowhere to be found.

But there's a pattern about missing things, that happens almost exclusively. You find them when you least expect it.

* * *

"Luffy! Don't wander off too far!" Sabo yelled, but to no avail. Luffy was already gone, chasing after a bug of some sorts. Why did Makino insist on taking them to the park? This kept happening. Every time. The blond absentmindedly followed after him, already knowing he didn't have much chance of finding him.

Someone else did, though.

"Luffy…" A familiar voice called him and the bug was immediately forgotten. The boy immediately turned around, his eyes twice their normal size.

Luffy practically jumped from joy. "Shanks!"

The red-haired man gave the boy a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Nevertheless when he opened his arms the kid ran right into them, burying his face in his shirt. Shanks returned the embrace, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It's ok. Everything's alright, Anchor."

"What happened? Where did you go?" he mumbled, unconsciously moving his hands, patting everywhere. He stopped however he felt a bump underneath his fingers. "What's that?" He felt with his fingers a little more. It appeared to be a bandage of some sort, underneath the sleeve on his left arm. "Are you ok?"

Shanks seemed taken aback for a second, before realizing what the kid was talking about. "Oh. Yeah, don't worry about it."

"Did he do this to you?" Although his lip started trembling, Luffy kept calm despite the situation,

"It doesn't matter. Luffy, look at me, I need to talk to you."

The man's serious tone caused the younger to do as told. The trust in those black eyes of his made Shanks' heart clench. The boy had put his hopes on him and he was about to crush them. He should have never agreed to take the kid in the first place.

"Shanks… Are you going to take us home now?" His voice was small as if he sensed what was about to come.

A deep sigh left the man's mouth. It scared Luffy to see him like that. "I'm sorry, Anchor. I can't." The small body tensed in his arms and Shanks felt like the worst person on earth.

"What…? Why?"

"It's complicated, Luffy."

"B-but you said!"

Luffy started backing away from him at that point, tearing himself from the embrace. Shanks tried to keep hold of him, but it was clear he didn't want to be so close until things cleared up.

"Luffy…"

"You promised. You _promised_, Shanks!" he yelled and tripped on his own feet on his way back.

"I'm sorry."

Biting his lip so hard it drew blood, Luffy tried desperately to hold back his tears. Once he saw he couldn't, he turned around and ran away, ignoring the startled calls from behind him.

He kept running and running until he reached the end of the park. Even then he didn't dare stop. He couldn't let Shanks find him, not now. How could he do this to them? He had promised to help them! They had trusted him! What would be so important...

"LUFFY! _LUFFY, WATCH OUT!"_

Sabo yelled in alarm from somewhere near. Luffy couldn't quite spot him at the moment. He was too busy staring at the dirty green car that was making its way over to him at an incredible speed. With no apparent intention of stopping.

Luffy froze, his heart beating frantically against his rib cage. He couldn't move, couldn't cry; he couldn't even scream. All he could do was stare in shock on what was bound to be the death of him.

In its panicked state, his mind went back to the pirate books Makino and Sabo read to him. About endless blue seas and that dangers that hid in them. If he squinted his eyes hard enough, he could imagine it; a giant sea monster glaring at him with its vicious red eyes. He briefly wondered if being eaten was a cooler way to die than being killed like this. However he didn't have much time to dwell on it, as the car was just about to hit its target. Luffy braced himself for the worst.

Just then something roughly grabbed his waist and with a small yelp he found himself flying out of the vehicle's way and on the cold, unforgiving asphalt. Less than a second later something heavy landed on top of him, only to be lifted immediately, leaving only a wet smudge on his shirt.

Still in shock, the raven haired boy touched the smudge and found his fingers coated with a red liquid that sent shivers down his spine. With fear gripping his heart, he raised his head to see his savior.

Shanks was looking behind them to watch the car drive away as if nothing happened. Blood was dripping from his left arm, staining the man's white shirt and the ground below. When Shanks turned back to him, he offered a relieved smile that made Luffy's heart clench guiltily. How could he have ever doubted him?

"S-Shanks...?"

"Are you ok, Anchor? Are you hurt?"

"W-what h-happened to y-your arm?" Luffy asked, ignoring the question directed to him.

Shanks looked at it then and if his expression was any indication, was genuinely surprised to see blood coming from it. "Huh. My wound must have reopened. It's nothing for you to worry about."

The boy's mind went back to those pirate books and he stared at the arm with newfound horror. "Shanks... You... You're not going to lose the arm, are you?"

Shanks laughed at his stricken expression. "Of course not, you idiot. What kind of movies have you been watching lately?"

Sabo came running then, looking completely and utterly terrified. "Luffy! Shanks! Are you ok?!"

Normally Luffy would have been clinging to his brother by now, afraid and crying, but there was one more thing he needed to know before panicking. "Hey, Shanks... Why didn't that car stop...?"

The older man visibly tensed at the question.

"Was someone trying to kill me?" His voice was small and emotionless and it scared the other boy to no end.

"Come on, Luffy. Don't be ridiculous. I know Higuma died but why would anyone try to kill you?" He said, hoping to change his brother's line of thought.

Shanks' eyes darkened with his next words, while Sabo turned five shades whiter. "No, he's right." Luffy gripped Sabo's sleeve to support himself. He remained perfectly still under the man's serious look. "Luffy, I can't explain to you everything that is happening right now. Even so surely you understand that things are not safe anymore. I wish I could take you with me, I do, but I screwed up."

Sabo opened his mouth to ask, but changed his mind and decided to let him finish.

"I'll try to send someone for you. We probably won't see each other again for a long while." He smiled kindly to halt the tears settling in the boy's eyes. Carefully, he took the battered straw hat off his head and with a wider grin now placed it on top of the black mop of hair. "Until then, hold on to this. Watch out for yourself and return it to me one day. Alive and well. How does that sound?"

Luffy clenched the straw hat tightly between his fingers and nodded clumsily, the tears now falling freely. Sabo smiled at the exchange, any anger from the turn of events gone at the sight of this.

Shanks stood up and clutching his still bleeding shoulder turned to him, a both serious and playful look in his eyes if possible. "Take care of him for me, will you?"

A grin spread over the blond's face. "You got it. Thanks for everything, Shanks."

When Makino finally tracked them down five minutes later, Shanks was already gone.

* * *

_"You fool. You were always reckless but this is a little over the top, don't you think?" _

_Shanks winced at the silent accusation. No, it took a lot to get the man to yell but even when he didn't, his disappointed tone could kill you._

_"I didn't mean for it to happen! It was an accident."_

_"An accident?"_

_"Yes! Technically I'm not the man who killed him."_

_"Even so, you can't possibly take the boy now."_

_"I know," he sighed and spotted the other man's eyes soften a little._

_"Then what are you planning to do?"_

_Shanks bit his lip. What he was about to say would either save the kids or get him killed. Maybe both. "There isn't anything I can do..." He began. The man's suspicious look didn't help ease his worry. "Still, I was thinking... that..."_

_"What is it, Shanks?"_

_"Perhaps you should take them in."_

* * *

_A/_N: Well that was a slightly stupid way to write the straw hat scene but I couldn't think of anything else that would fit. The guy at the end... Can you guess who it is? It's not really that hard... Anyone who guesses gets a cookie! Sort of. Sleep deprivation for the win! Please leave a review for me to read when my brain starts working again! Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is short and stupid and completely pointless. Ugh, please be patient with it and wait for the next one, I promise it'll be better.

* * *

**Chapter 9: So Now What?**

The older man stared at Shanks with an incredulous look, while he in return was smiling awkwardly, preparing himself for what was about to come. Surprisingly enough, the man's voice was very collected when he spoke. "_What_ did you say, Shanks?"

"I… I said, that I think… you… should take the kids."

He ran a hand through his white hair, clearly tired with this whole situation and entirely unwilling to play a bigger part in it. "You want me to take care of Dragon's kid?"

Shanks was quick to defend his argument. The future of the two boys depended on convincing him. "Those kids need help. You-"

"_Those kids?_ You want me to take care of more than one?"

The younger flinched, realizing his mistake. So, it hadn't started very smoothly. He should have been more careful. That was definitely no way to break those news! "Well… there's this other kid with him… Sabo. He'll never forgive you if you separate them."

"Shanks-"

"You can help them. Train them. Teach them how to protect themselves," Shanks kept on trying. He had to accept, he _had _to. Just because he made a mistake didn't mean they had to pay for it.

The man sighed again, but his eyes had softened. The red head resisted the urge to smile at his soon to be success. "I don't know, Shanks. I'm a little too old for this, don't you think?"

"Higuma was going to kill him. Right before I left, someone else also tried to. If we leave him there, at some point they _will_ succeed," he said grimly. "You have to help."

When a small smile appeared on his face, Shanks knew he had won. "Alright." It was a smile Shanks returned immediately.

"Thank you, Rayleigh-san."

* * *

Ace knew he was in trouble when he came home to find his grandfather waiting for him. He almost had a heart attack as well, seeing as all the lights were off in the house and there was Garp sitting still and waiting for him, the only sound coming from the biscuits he was eating. That first _crunch! _he heard once he walked it made him almost jump in surprise.

"What _the hell_, old geezer? What are you doing there?" He yelled in annoyance. It was late at night, he was tired, he didn't need any of this.

The way Garp was being unusually serious however caused the boy to quiet down and wait. Something was definitely up. And he wasn't going to like it. The thick paper on his fingers suddenly felt heavy, guilty.

"Where were you, Ace?" asked Garp, voice low and dangerous. Ace tensed as he realized how pissed his grandfather was at him.

Even so, he shrugged, not in his nature to admit anything. "Outside. Is it not allowed?"

"What are you holding there then?" It was almost a growl and Ace thought twice before lying.

The raven-haired boy clenched the file tightly. "Just some stuff…" At his grandfather's glare, he had to add something. "I've been looking into some things. Why?"

"Because you have to stop. _Now_."

And his tone held so much absolution that for a second even Ace believed it. Until he remembered what was being asked of him. "Forget it."

"Ace, this isn't a request! It's an order!" Garp yelled, getting up from his seat to glare down at the boy with the scariest look he could muster. "You will stop. Right now!"

It pissed Ace off to no end. "And why should I?!"

"Because it's too dangerous! If you really looked into it then you know _exactly_ why you should stop."

"And what about Luffy?" he yelled back, enraged.

"Luffy wouldn't want his brother to die like this, Ace! It's bad enough that he's involved in all of this! At least _you _ can stay out of it!"

The man had hit the vulnerable spot. Luffy would never forgive himself if something happened to his only brother because of this. The boy started shaking with frustration, his entire frame trembling at the unfairness of it all. The most terrible of worlds had claimed the most innocent of boys and if he had to be honest with himself, Ace couldn't do anything to get him out of it. "Someone needs to take care of him…" he muttered, eyes cast down.

Garp smiled softly at his grandson, hearing the emotion in his words. Finally, he could give Ace some good news. "Luffy will be taken care of. He assured me of that."

The kid's head snapped up instantly. "Who did?"

"My son."

"You spoke to him?! What did he say?" For a second, just one second, Ace believed his brother would come back home. That second didn't last long enough…

Garp sighed and it was all the answer he needed. "I don't know the details, but they are going to send someone for him. He's trying to help him, Ace."

"I see…" he nodded, calm yet clearly disappointed.

With that he walked back to his room, but not before one last thing from his grandfather. "Ace, promise me you'll stop looking."

"Fine," he said and left to be on his one.

He placed the file on the desk and stared at it hard. A wild, dangerous smirk appeared on his face. _Fine. For a few years. Until I'm old enough to make a difference. Then I'll come get you, Luffy._

_I promise._

* * *

Sabo didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed. It has been an entire week since Shanks had left and even though Luffy was almost past his sad phase there was something that seriously didn't seem to change no matter how much time passed.

His attachment to his hat.

Luffy wore it all the time. Sometimes even when he was sleeping. And if not in sleep, then he placed it next to his bed and put it on the instant he woke up. Whenever someone tried to take it, he freaked out and all in all he guarded it like the most valuable treasure in the world. The funny thing was that the thing was three sizes too big to begin with. Luffy could hide his eyes in it, hide anything he didn't want seen. But Sabo didn't mind. Because it provided Luffy with both a reminder of a promise as well as a barrier from a world that had been getting way too complicated for the young boy.

So maybe he had more than one thing to thanks Shanks for.

Sometimes Sabo even wished he had one of his own. Mostly because Luffy could actually pick up on him being upset and called him out on it. It was hardly his fault, though.

"Sabo…" Luffy whined, staring at him with wide eyes filled with worry. "What's wrong?"

The blond immediately switched his frown for a smile in hopes of easing the kid's worries. "Nothing, Lu. Hey, what do you say we-"

"Sabo!" he protested. "What's the matter? You've been acting weird for a while… It bothers me…" The childish little pout he gave was completely and utterly adorable and Sabo found himself smiling for real at the sight.

"Sorry. I'll stop."

"Promise?" Luffy asked with sparkling eyes.

After a moment of hesitation he had to agree, if just for the boy's sake. "Promise."

Truth be told, he wouldn't stop. Because he was worried and very much so. Luffy had told him most of what had happened that day with Shanks and combined with what he remembered Shanks had told them, it really sounded like somebody had tried to kill Luffy. On top of that, in hindsight it sounded like Higuma was planning the same thing or at least something similar.

And just why were people trying to kill _Luffy_?

Luffy. Sweet, innocent, little Luffy whose biggest crime was stealing food from him during meals. But the kid wasn't worried and Sabo wasn't going to make him.

"Hey, Lu, what do you say we try and sneak into the kitchen and steal a snack from the cook?"

And the boy's bright like sunshine grin was the greatest reward he could get. Even when ten minutes later they were frantically running away, somehow both screaming and laughing simultaneously.

* * *

_"Shanks, you ok? You've been awfully quiet…" Benn asked, studying his friend. A smile was the only reply he got and thus got a clue as to what the red haired man was thinking. "It's the kid, isn't it? Luffy?"_

_His smile widened, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "Yeah… You should've seen him, Benn."_

_"You miss him, huh?"_

_"You bet I do," he nodded, before another thought entered his mind. "You know what's weird? He reminded me of someone."_

_Benn frowned. "Who?"_

_"_Roger."

* * *

A/N: Ok... At least it's over. Please do leave review, you lurkers! This story has been steadily losing reviewers (though I don't have my hopes up for this chapter. Then again, you can say what you didn't like!) Ok, until next time!


End file.
